COCKTAIL: an alcoholic drink and hors d’oeuvre (meze).
KEFI: Greek for the spirit expressing the joy of life. Whether you’re planning on hosting a dinner, launching a tailgate party, or celebrating happy hour, a cocktail and meze are always in demand. We developed fuss-free Greek drink and appetizer recipes that will add kefi to any occasion.
Cocktail + Kefi = Opa!

​KUKLA’S KOCKTAIL
(Κούκλας Κοκτέιλ)
by Kelly Salonica Staikopoulos and Joanne Staikopoulos Marzella
As featured in the upcoming cookbook: Kukla’s Kouzina: A Gourmet Journey~Greek Island Style
 
This get-the-party-started cocktail has a licorice-mocha flavor that’s infused with a tangy citrus sorbet in place of ice, keeping the drink well chilled.
 
Total preparation time: 5 minutes
Yield: 1 serving
 
INGREDIENTS
1 mini scoop (about 2 tablespoons) orange or lemon sorbet
1 ounce ouzo liqueur
½ ounce coffee-flavored liqueur (such as Kahlua)
Orange slice or orange zest curl, for garnish
 
DIRECTIONS
Place the sorbet in a martini or old-fashioned glass and pour ouzo and coffee-flavored liqueur over the top. Swirl to combine. Garnish the glass with an orange slice or top the sorbet with a zest curl, if desired. Makes 1 serving.

TYROKOULOURA
(τυροκούλουρα)
by Kelly Salonica Staikopoulos and Joanne Staikopoulos Marzella
As featured in the upcoming cookbook: Kukla’s Kouzina: A Gourmet Journey~Greek Island Style
 
This easy-to-make Greek meze is a crowd pleaser. The recipe is based on snacks Kukla used to make with leftover scraps of dough…and there were no leftovers when she was done baking! The puff pastry can be found in the frozen-food section of your market.
 
Do-ahead tip: These snacks can be prepared up to 1 hour ahead and baked when ready to serve. Make the twist rings, placing them on the baking sheets but do not brush them with egg or add seeds. Cover completely with plastic wrap and keep refrigerated until ready to bake, up to 1 hour. Preheat the oven, remove the plastic wrap from the baking sheets, brush the rings with egg and top them with seeds. Proceed with baking instructions in step 4.
 
Preparation time: 25 minutes
Baking time: about 15 minutes
Yield: 18 mezedes (appetizers)
 
INGREDIENTS
Vegetable shortening
All-purpose flour, for dusting
1 sheet (about 9 ½-inch square) prepared puff pastry, thawed according to package directions
1 large egg, beaten well
2 tablespoons shredded kasseri cheese
2 tablespoons shredded graviera cheese
1/4 cup finely chopped deli ham, dry pepperoni (sweet or hot), cooked sausage or bacon
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
2 tablespoons black sesame seeds (mavrosisamo)
 
DIRECTIONS
1. Heat oven to 400°F (204°C). Lightly grease 2 large baking sheets; set aside.
 
2. On a lightly floured surface, unfold the pastry sheet and, using a rolling pin, roll out to an 11½-inch square, 1/8-inch thick.  
 
3. Lightly brush half of the pastry sheet with egg and sprinkle brushed side evenly with the cheeses, ham, and oregano. Lightly brush the other half of the pastry sheet with egg and fold over, covering the filling completely. With fingertips, press pastry around the edges, then, using the rolling pin, roll gently over the top to seal.  
 
4. Cut the pastry crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick strips, about 6 inches long, making about 18 strips. Twist each strip and pinch the ends together, forming a circle. Place the twist rings 2 inches apart on the prepared sheets. Brush the rings with egg, then sprinkle them with the black sesame seeds. 
 
5. Bake for about 15 minutes, until puffed and golden brown. Serve warm (they can also be served at room temperature but warm is preferable). 
 
Recipes © copyright 2017 Kukla's Kouzina: A Gourmet Journey~Greek Island Style, kuklaskouzina.com  

I hope you enjoy making and eating these Kukla’s Kouzina specialties!
 
Sign up for our e-newsletter (if you haven’t already) and stay connected on social media for cooking tips and recipes, as well as for all Kukla's Kouzina updates and news.
 
Thanks for following us and we’ll see you next Monday.
 
Until then~
Kali orexi! Good appetite!
 
Kelly

​Copyright © 2017 Kukla's Kouzina: A Gourmet Journey~Greek Island Style / The Naked Truth About...Greek Cooking!    
 
Web design by Kelly Salonica Staikopoulos

The World Cup (June 12 to July 13)—It’s the Olympics of soccer and there’s nothing Greeks take more seriously than their podosphero (ποδόσφαιρο, poh-THOH-sfeh-roh) or foot-ball (ποδό-foot, σφαιρο-shere or ball), commonly referred to as soccer (especially in the USA) so as not to confuse the game with American football, which is, well, a whole different ball game!  

Four years in the making, with annual soccer seasons spanning from August to May, the best of the best are selected from club teams around the world to compete globally on national teams representing their homeland. This year, Greece has made it to the World Cup and its team is an all-star lineup of stellar-performing players. USA will be in the World Cup this year as well so it’ll be a huge event for both countries.

Soccer is the great Greek pastime (for most of the world too, but, hey, we’re Greek at Kukla’s Kouzina!). We’ve even got a soccer field right below our property in Karpathos. It's "the" sport in Greece and now that the country is World-Cup bound, it’s going to be pure nirvana…and pandemonium. Greece’s pride in their soccer players is over the top, and with the World Cup that pride will be exploding. Passion and enthusiasm collide when it comes to soccer—the physical act of watching (and reacting to) the game can cause its own collisions and should be declared a side-sport that is not recommended for the faint of heart. When it’s game on, fans will skip work and ditch school to be a part of the action and witness history in the making—an unofficial holiday will be declared and bosses and teachers alike will not question anyone’s absence…how could they when they’re watching the games as well?!

So what does soccer have to do with food? Well, where there’s a sports event, there’s a party. And what’s a party without munchies and drinks to get the fun started? To represent Greece in the World Cup tailgate festivities, we developed a Greek cocktail and a snack recipe that will celebrate our mother-country’s team and will cheer them on to victory.

Zeto Ellada (Ζήτω Ελλάδα, ZEE-toh eh-LAH-thah)! 
Victory Greece!

KUKLA’S KOCKTAIL
(Κούκλας Κοκτέιλ)
by Kelly Salonica Staikopoulos and Joanne Staikopoulos Marzella
As featured in our upcoming cookbook: Kukla’s Kouzina: A Gourmet Journey~Greek Island Style

A game-time winner, this cocktail celebrates with a licorice-mocha flavor that’s infused with a tangy citrus sorbet in place of ice, keeping the drink well chilled.

Total preparation time: 5 minutes
Yield: 1 serving

INGREDIENTS
1 mini scoop (about 2 tablespoons) orange or lemon sorbet
1 ounce ouzo liqueur
½ ounce coffee-flavored liqueur (such as Kahlua)
Orange slice or orange zest curl, for garnish

DIRECTIONS
Place sorbet in a martini or old-fashioned glass and pour ouzo and coffee-flavored liqueur over top. Swirl to combine. Garnish glass with an orange slice or top the sorbet with a zest curl, if desired. Makes 1 serving.

TYROKOULOURA
(τυροκούλουρα)
by Kelly Salonica Staikopoulos and Joanne Staikopoulos Marzella
As featured in the upcoming cookbook: Kukla’s Kouzina: A Gourmet Journey~Greek Island Style

This easy-to-make Greek meze is a satisfying game-day party snack that’s sure to be a crowd pleaser. This recipe is based on snacks Kukla used to make with leftover scraps of dough…and there were no leftovers when she was done baking! The puff pastry can be found in the frozen-food section of your market. 

Do-ahead tip: These snacks can be prepared up to 1 hour ahead and baked when ready to serve. Make the twist rings, placing them on the baking sheets but do not brush them with egg or add seeds. Cover completely with plastic wrap and keep refrigerated until ready to bake, up to 1 hour. Preheat the oven, remove the plastic wrap from the baking sheets, brush the rings with egg and top them with seeds. Proceed with baking instructions in step 4.

Preparation time: 25 minutes
Baking time: about 15 minutes
Yield: 18 mezedes (appetizers)

INGREDIENTS
Vegetable shortening
All-purpose flour, for dusting
1 sheet (about 9 ½-inch square) prepared puff pastry, thawed according to package directions
1 egg, beaten well
2 tablespoons shredded kasseri cheese
2 tablespoons shredded graviera cheese
1/4 cup finely chopped deli ham, dry pepperoni (sweet or hot), cooked sausage or bacon    
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
2 tablespoons nigella seeds (black sesame, mavrosisamo)

DIRECTIONS
1. Heat oven to 400°F (204°C). Lightly grease 2 large baking sheets; set aside.

2. On a lightly floured surface, unfold the pastry sheet and, using a rolling pin, roll out to an 11½-inch square, 1/8-inch thick.  

3. Lightly brush half of the pastry sheet with egg and sprinkle brushed side evenly with the cheeses, ham, and oregano. Lightly brush other half of the pastry sheet with egg and fold over, covering the filling completely. With fingertips, press pastry around the edges, then, using the rolling pin, roll gently over the top to seal.     

4. Cut the pastry crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick strips, about 6 inches long, making about 18 strips. Twist each strip and pinch the ends together, forming a circle. Place twist rings 2 inches apart on the prepared sheets. Brush the rings with egg, then sprinkle them with nigella seeds. 

5. Bake for about 15 minutes, until puffed and golden brown. Serve warm (can also be served at room temperature but warm is preferable). 

Recipes © copyright 2014 Kukla's Kouzina: A Gourmet Journey~Greek Island Style, kuklaskouzina.com  

I hope you enjoyed World Cup Tailgating~Greece Scores the GOAL! and that you have fun watching the games. Tell us about your favorite tailgate recipes and you might see them featured here during World Cup month.

Sign up for our e-newsletter (if you haven’t already) and stay connected for all Kukla's Kouzina updates and news.

Thanks for following us and we’ll see you next Monday.

Until then~
Kali oreksi! Good appetite!

Kelly

RESOURCES
2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil
Christopher Staten (good friend and genuine, bona fide, die-hard soccer fan)

© Copyright 2014 Kukla's Kouzina: A Gourmet Journey~Greek Island Style / The Naked Truth About...Greek Cooking!    

Web design by Kelly Salonica Staikopoulos